The Great Brake Pad And Rotors Thread.

[sciff5]

I think my first post was misleading in terms of how I feel about the HPS pads. They are the best pad available for the Max most deff.. Seriously no other competitors but mine dust a lot but I also seem to be a very rare case.

[Ephraim]

yea i am confused about the dusting, it seems like half the people posting in here say they dust alot, and the other half say there is minimal dust (including me). at first i thought it might be an issue between 5.0 and 5.5 gen, but then a 2003 guy posted that he has minimal dusting. quite interesting.

[irish44j]

I don't understand all the whining about dusting anyways....your car gets dirty from driving. your wheels get dirty from driving. When they get dirty, clean them.

If you're that paranoid about dust on your wheels, just carry an old rag around and you can clean them off every couple of days...


BTW, George, if you're heavy on the brakes when autocrossing, you're not driving correctly. Autocross should not be hard on the brakes......

[Maxim(a)SerjVQ]

lol irish i was just about to comment on the heavy braking thing myself. Truth is, if you're truly a very good driver, you should be able to time your shifting and braking with your approach to a corner so that different parts of your car share the load of braking and cornering to make the wear less severe on any one component. Jackie Stewart even said that to be fast and consistent you should drive so that your passengers cannot percieve the changes in direction you make. A rough or jerky style of driving not only makes you look bad, but stresses a lower number of components more severly while increasing the likelyhood of losing control from the loss of grip. Someone mentioned the 5th gen vs 5.5gen and likely noticed me reporting low amounts of dust. Trust me driving like grandma isn't what I do so i must be doing something right. I did the tirerack reccomended bed-in procedure 2-3x back to back within the first 10 mi of these pads, and i DID NOT make any alterations to the plating they did on my rotors, i just simply let them get rubbed down. the benefit is that surfaces that don't contact the pads look much nicer than an uncoated brake rotor.

[irish44j]

Personally, I'm more interested in good braking than low dusting......but I guess some people just want their wheels to look pretty when they rear-end another car because stopping power sucks

[irish44j]

Originally Posted by Maxim(a)SerjVQ

lol irish i was just about to comment on the heavy braking thing myself. Truth is, if you're truly a very good driver, you should be able to time your shifting and braking with your approach to a corner so that different parts of your car share the load of braking and cornering to make the wear less severe on any one component. Jackie Stewart even said that to be fast and consistent you should drive so that your passengers cannot percieve the changes in direction you make. A rough or jerky style of driving not only makes you look bad, but stresses a lower number of components more severly while increasing the likelyhood of losing control from the loss of grip. Someone mentioned the 5th gen vs 5.5gen and likely noticed me reporting low amounts of dust. Trust me driving like grandma isn't what I do so i must be doing something right. I did the tirerack reccomended bed-in procedure 2-3x back to back within the first 10 mi of these pads, and i DID NOT make any alterations to the plating they did on my rotors, i just simply let them get rubbed down. the benefit is that surfaces that don't contact the pads look much nicer than an uncoated brake rotor.

true....also George has an autotragic, so when he slows down it's ALL brakes, whereas I match revs and downshift....

[irish44j]

Originally Posted by Ephraim

yea i am confused about the dusting, it seems like half the people posting in here say they dust alot, and the other half say there is minimal dust (including me). at first i thought it might be an issue between 5.0 and 5.5 gen, but then a 2003 guy posted that he has minimal dusting. quite interesting.

as I noted in the above post....5speeds are alot lighter on the brakes than automatics...that could be the difference.

[sciff5]

Originally Posted by irish44j

as I noted in the above post....5speeds are alot lighter on the brakes than automatics...that could be the difference.

I also went from 5.5 gen brake calipers and rotors to 6th gen calipers and rotors. It only makes sense that a larger pad area creates more dust.

[ZIPPIN]

Whats the best place to buy the hawk pads?

[Anachronism]

Originally Posted by ZIPPIN

Whats the best place to buy the hawk pads?

Tire rack has them for a decent price, but you might be able to find them cheaper elsewhere.

[00MaxSE]

I've been pretty happy with my Raybestos Quietstop ceramic pads.

[dhl424]

are the nissan brakes that bad?
i just got a 03 max, so dont know much about this car yet.

what's the price difference between oem nissan and hawk brakes pads?
which one lasts longer?

p.s anyone know why i cant start a thread? do i need to reach a certain amount of posts?

thanks

[MacGarnicle]

you need 15 posts.. or pay the $20 and do everything!

consensus seems to be go with hawk brake pads.. do some research and find out the prices for yourself then make a decision based on the recommendations.

[dhl424]

oh ok, thanks alot

[irish44j]

Hawk pads bite alot better than OEM. Obviously there's argument about which dusts more/less, but the #1 priority of brakes is to stop the car, and Hawks do that much better than OEM.

Also, with Hawks you don't have to worry about uneven pad material transfer/buildup on the rotors, which is a side-effect of low-temperature OEM pads.

What have you been doing here since May '03 with only 17 posts?

[FriscoMaxima]

Originally Posted by Maxim(a)SerjVQ

lol irish i was just about to comment on the heavy braking thing myself. Truth is, if you're truly a very good driver, you should be able to time your shifting and braking with your approach to a corner so that different parts of your car share the load of braking and cornering to make the wear less severe on any one component. Jackie Stewart even said that to be fast and consistent you should drive so that your passengers cannot percieve the changes in direction you make. A rough or jerky style of driving not only makes you look bad, but stresses a lower number of components more severly while increasing the likelyhood of losing control from the loss of grip. Someone mentioned the 5th gen vs 5.5gen and likely noticed me reporting low amounts of dust. Trust me driving like grandma isn't what I do so i must be doing something right. I did the tirerack reccomended bed-in procedure 2-3x back to back within the first 10 mi of these pads, and i DID NOT make any alterations to the plating they did on my rotors, i just simply let them get rubbed down. the benefit is that surfaces that don't contact the pads look much nicer than an uncoated brake rotor.

wouldn't it be cheaper to replace brake pads than transmission?

[sdoow]

We recommend Hawk HPS brake pads for regular street driving, and HP Plus pads for street / minor tracking driving (autocrossing). We have been using Hawk pads with our rotors, and the combination has been very successful. We like the compound because its: affordable, low on dust, smooth braking, very little noise (if any), and over-all much better than OEM. The HP Plus is also a great compound, but tends to squeak at lower speeds and for most people it can get annoying when driving around town.

[Succinct]

Originally Posted by ctrent86

I am considering getting pbr axxis ultimate pads(since I can get a good deal on them). Has anyone had any experience with them?

I had great experience with Axxis Deluxe Plus pads in my previous car, a 1999 BMW 540 6-speed. I've read that the Axxis Ultimates are comparable to and have higher temp range than the D+s. I HIGHLY recommend consulting Dave Zeckhausen of Zeckhausenracing.com for excellent prices and SERVICE on both pads and rotors, and yes, he carries the Axxis pads and some very nice Centric rotors. The guy knows his stuff and is very responsive to questions. I definitely plan to buy from him next Spring when I replace all 4 brake rotors and pads.

[zagzig]

I have Axxis Ultimates and have no complaints except for the dusting. The brakes are nice and quiet and bite very well especially once warmed up. However, they dust so much more than the OEM pads. I'm having to wash my rims in between car washes. I will be trying Hawk HPS next.

[Succinct]

Originally Posted by zagzig

I have Axxis Ultimates and have no complaints except for the dusting. The brakes are nice and quiet and bite very well especially once warmed up. However, they dust so much more than the OEM pads. I'm having to wash my rims in between car washes. I will be trying Hawk HPS next.

Avoidance of Dust is why I switched from OEM to Axxis Deluxe Plus on my '99 BMW 540 6-speed. With OEM BMW pads my wheels were DIR-TEE within 2 days of washing, but with the Axxis Deluxe pads it took more like 2 weeks to get to the same point.

Don''t know if I have OEM pads (definitely have the front rotor warp) on my '03 Maxima (70K miles), but whatever is in there definitely is cleaner than the OEM BMW pads were.

Also, I don't know how Ultimates compare with D+ Axxis pads, but I'd always assumed they were about the same. Hmmm.....

[irish44j]

Originally Posted by FriscoMaxima

wouldn't it be cheaper to replace brake pads than transmission?

if you match rpms when downshifting, there is no particular harm to the transmission or clutch. I've been doing this for almost 15 years and have had nary a trasnmission problem and only replaced one clutch (at 190,000 miles on my Acura)...ever.

[Trurida18]

Originally Posted by ZIPPIN

Whats the best place to buy the hawk pads?

www.autopartswarehouse.com

[Trurida18]

Originally Posted by sanmiam

Pads - the squeaking is probably the wear indicators rubbing the rotors (more of a squeal than a squek, but I think its what you are refering to)

but the thing is.......IT NEVER DOES IT IF IM DRIVING AND BRAKING NORMALLY........when i start braking heavy THATS WHEN I REALLY HEAR THE NOISE, THEN AFTER A FEW MINUTES...IT GOES AWAY......almost like when the pads and rotors are extremely hot ITS LOUDER, but a few minutes goes by and the noise goes away

[Y2K1GLEMAX]

I'm wondering if autoparts stores such as pep boys and autozone carry any good brake pads. Modt of those places have warranty on their pads. So if it ever wears out, you can just exchange them for some new ones.

[irish44j]

Originally Posted by Y2K1GLEMAX

I'm wondering if autoparts stores such as pep boys and autozone carry any good brake pads. Modt of those places have warranty on their pads. So if it ever wears out, you can just exchange them for some new ones.

Almost all pads have warranties, but read them carefully - they don't mean "free replacement" when they wear out.

BTW, Pep Boys carries Hawk pads, FTW.

[ZIPPIN]

This is my last try, before I switch to a BBK. I am having to change pads and rotors every 20K. My current set-up is Raybestos Quietstop ceramic pads, and brembo x-drilled. Which, yes the x-drilled were put on just for the looks. The rotors are still smooth and plenty of pad left. When I brake, especially about 60, the sterring shakes horribly. I am switching to Hawk HPS. Does it matter what make of rotor I use? Will the ones from Napa, Pep-boyes, or Advance Auto be okay with Hawk pads. Or should I get brembo blanks.
I want to switch to the 6th generation rotors. But the set-up will not clear my stock 17's. And I use the stocks in the winter months..

[00MaxSE]

That sucks Jay. I'm still on my OEM rotors and I have the Raybestos Quietstop pads. No problems at all.

[kingrukus]

I have heard great things about the Raybestos Quiet Stop pads, and I am going to go with them the next time I need to replace my pads.

I have run Hawk HPS pads breifly and liked them.

I have run Hawk HP Plus pads briefly, and they had a ton of noise and only like to grab with a lot of heat...I definitely do not suggest them for street use. With heat however they grabbed hard.

I have had extensive use with Axis/PBR Metal Master pads, and I would never run them again. They wore very fast and dusted a lot, but had decent bite.

For my style of driving (not much hard braking), I would go OEM or Raybestos Quiet Stops.

For rotors, I ran Brembo rotors with a 3rd party x-drill, and liked them, however I would never get x-drilled or slotted again. Blanks Functionality and pad longevity > slotted/drilled looks.

[Trurida18]

ok...so i still have OEM pads and OEM rotors.........when i brake hard, and then pull off...i hear a constant squeaking noise for a few minutes, then it just goes away...my rotors were resurface from the dealership when i got the car... do you guys think its the pads or my rotors....OR BOTH...my rotors dont feel warped, they are smooth

but as replacements i purchased some HAWK HPS, and as rotor replacements i was going to get either powerslot slotted rotors, or their blanks

[2002 Maxima SE]

I replaced my front rotors with RTP rotors and the pads were replaced with Axxis Deluxe. I bedded them but developed a squeal for the next 10k miles that I tried to alleviate through anti-squeal coatings.

Came to find that the initial bedding had not been enough. I did a second bedding and now they are much better. They catch much more quickly and the squeal is gone.

[Trurida18]

^^ ok so in response to your statement "2002 maxima se" is there a proper way to bed in OEM pads?? that you know of or can some tell me

[2002 Maxima SE]

Originally Posted by Trurida18

^^ ok so in response to your statement "2002 maxima se" is there a proper way to bed in OEM pads?? that you know of or can some tell me

http://www.zeckhausen.com/bedding_in_brakes.htm

[Trurida18]

Originally Posted by 2002 Maxima SE

http://www.zeckhausen.com/bedding_in_brakes.htm

thanks alot man i appreciate that info....i just had my brakes changed today....ive got Hawk HPS pads, and some brembo blanks

and im pretty sure i followed the instructions here as well as the proper meothod for bedding hawk HPS pads

[buddah]

Does anyone have any advice for the removal of rotors? I was able to change my pads, but I just couldn't get the rotors off the rear or front assembly. Is there a lock nut or technique that I am missing? I just put HKS HPS pads on but I really want to put my brembo rotors on too!! Any advice you guys have would be really apprecaited

[ZIPPIN]

Originally Posted by buddah

Does anyone have any advice for the removal of rotors? I was able to change my pads, but I just couldn't get the rotors off the rear or front assembly. Is there a lock nut or technique that I am missing? I just put HKS HPS pads on but I really want to put my brembo rotors on too!! Any advice you guys have would be really apprecaited

check out this thread
http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=469787

[MichMaxFan]

Regarding the caliper maintenance suggestions stated above:

Quote: "Brush brake fluid on the piston boot/seal and clean out as much dirt as possible. Extend the piston out by pressing down on the brake pedal (all lines connected). Wire brush the exposed piston as clean as possible w/o damaging the boot around it. Lubricate with more brake fluid and press back in the bore with C-clamp/wood etc. Work it in & out a few times. Lube the caliper pin boots with WD40 or similar and soften them back up. Of course caliper grease inside the pins."

Is this as "easy" to do as it sounds and is it all there is to it? Realistically, how long should it take me? I want to tackle my brakes in the future, but right now extend the caliper life via good maintenance. In doing this it appears there is no bleeding of the brake lines? That scares me, although it probably shouldn't. Any good solid writeups on bleeding the brakes? I am trying to plan ahead before I fix what aint broke so I don't have to repair things in an emergency situation, which really sucks.

Thanks for all your help.

[grateful1]

Originally Posted by buddah

Does anyone have any advice for the removal of rotors? I was able to change my pads, but I just couldn't get the rotors off the rear or front assembly. Is there a lock nut or technique that I am missing? I just put HKS HPS pads on but I really want to put my brembo rotors on too!! Any advice you guys have would be really apprecaited

I had the same problem. I sprayed some PB Blast, waited a couple of minutes and then used a hard rubber malet. Rotate the rotor while hitting the middle of the rotor. Then hit the back of the rotor towards you and it should come off. The back of the rotor was rusted onto the axle but came off within 5 minutes.

[Shogunsc4]

My Brembo blanks went bad according to my mechanic and with all the excessive squeaking... I have just recently replaced them with the EBC slotted and dippled rotors with OEM pads. The problem I'm having is that when I drive, I can hear some sort of hissing/ticking sound at the wheels and the speed of the hiss/tick varies to the speed of the car. It gets more noticable when I drive next to a curb or a wall. This is when I'm driving (not braking)...and when I brake the noise goes away. Is this normal for slotted/dippled rotors?

[atlridin]

I posted on the Noobies, but have not had any helpful advice.
I changed my front rotors (Brembo) and all pads (Pbr deluxe plus). Do I need shims? The old ones sucked and was not sure if my pads should come with them. Can not find them online anyway.
Second, now when I apply brake in P I get a clicking noise under the gear shift area.
Any ideas?
I know Irish44j said something about the rear piston and e-brake, so maybe I messed somthing up when I was turning the rear pistons with that ridiculous tool.

[ZIPPIN]

Originally Posted by irish44j

make sure to bed them properly. Hawk puts bedding instructions on the side of the box the pads come in

Originally Posted by irish44j

2. make sure to use anti-squeal compound on the pad shims
3. Brembo blanks are fine. Make SURE to use a large can of brake cleaner spray to get all the greasy goo off of them - they come all greased up to keep them from rusting before sale. Get ALL this crap off!!!!

Where the heck do you take the car for bedding? I can't think of a street where I can bed them. Every street by my place has stoplights, stop signs, or 20-mile speed limit.
The manager at NAPA told me not to use brake cleaner on the new rotors. Something about it leaving deposits. He said all rotor manufacturers recommend using warm water and soap